NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — A Lihu‘e-born and raised businessman received an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater, California State University, Northridge, on Monday evening, after donating more than $11 million to the school.
Valera received the honorary doctorate of humane letters degree during the commencement ceremony for CSUN’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication on May 22.
“It’s really kind of a surprise,” said Valera in an interview with The Garden Island. “I’m quite involved in the school, and maybe that’s why they felt the need to kind of honor me … but I’m very honored to be receiving it.”
Valera has been donating to CSUN for the past 20 years, but made his major contribution in the past three years. In 2020, he and his wife, Debbie, made an $11 million donation to the university. That same year, CSUN’s administration building was renamed Valera Hall.
“We did very well and are very fortunate. And so, between my wife and I, we feel very, very blessed to be able to make that kind of contribution to our school,” he said.
Life and career
Valera was born in Lihu’e, where he eventually graduated from Kaua‘i High School in 1960. “We ran around barefoot. Everybody knew everybody,” he said of growing up on the island. “It was really, really nice growing up there,” noting that he learned important values that served him into adulthood.
After graduating high school, Valera moved to California to attend Los Angeles City College and quickly began working for local newspapers.
“By 1962, I was working for Associated Press,” he said. “I didn’t spend a whole lot of time just doing the college newspaper gig. I mean it’s really nice to have on your resume, but I needed to make some money because I was already married at that time and already had a child,” he said.
He later matriculated at CSUN, which was then known as San Fernando Valley State College, and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism in 1968.
“When I graduated, I was 29,” he said. “I had a lot of experience working at all the newspapers … I wasn’t just a wet behind the ears kind of a graduate. I was an experienced person,” he said, noting that he worked for newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and Herald Examiner while still a student.
After graduating, Valera made the economic decision to leave journalism to open his own public relations and marketing agency.
“I love journalism. I love writing stories. I love telling stories. But you can’t make any money working as a journalist,” he said.
One of his first clients at his newly formed agency was the National Notary Association.
“Well, a couple of years later I was given this opportunity to come aboard the National Notary Association, and that’s when I decided, well, maybe I’ll give it a try.”
By 1971, Valera had closed his PR agency to work exclusively for the National Notary Association. He later became the association’s president and CEO in 1982.
“Valera revolutionized the (notary) profession by
introducing comprehensive educational initiatives, creating special publications, and authoring rules of ethical and professional conduct that serve as the foundation for notary best practices in the U.S. today,” said CSUN representative Javier Rojas in a statement.
Over 40 years later, Valera is still with the association as chairman of the board.
‘Kaua‘i is still home’
Valera said he was able to make such a big donation to CSUN “with a little luck,” through making “some great investments in the stock market and in real estate.”
“I’m no big shot. I’m just a regular kind of person and worked hard, and when I realized that I can give back, I decided to give back,” he said.
Even though Valera has lived in California for decades, he’s still an active supporter of the Kaua‘i community, where he serves as the director of the Kaua‘i High School Foundation.
“We provide scholarships. We do all kinds of different things. We support the athletic department. We just built a tech center there a couple of years ago, so it’s cool,” he said.
“Kaua‘i is still home for me. I mean, I live here (California), but Kaua‘i is still home.”
Valera, who is now 81, hopes that sharing his story will inspire young people on the island to “see that they can do this too” and “aspire to heights that they may not have dreamed possible.”
“I would ask anybody listening to figure out what you want to do, and then go after it. Go after it and do not, under any circumstances, minimize the economics of what you’re trying to do,” he said.
